Michael

Lore & Background

Michael is introduced in the fifth and final season of Fringe, set in 2036 after the Observers have taken over Earth. He is revealed through a series of pre-recorded videotapes that Walter Bishop had ambered in the lab, which lead to several components of a device, including Michael. The plan, developed by Walter and September, is to send Michael to the year 2167 to present him to the scientists at that time as proof that emotion and intelligence can coexist, thereby changing the direction of Observer development. September is shot and killed by another Observer (Windmark) during the final sequence, but not at the last moment before Michael is sent—Walter takes Michael after September's death. As predicted, time is reset from that point.

In Their Own Story

In the year 2036, the Fringe team is reunited through Henrietta ('Etta'), Peter and Olivia's now adult daughter who disappeared shortly after the Observer arrival in 2015. Walter reveals he and September developed a plan to defeat the Observers, revealed through a series of pre-recorded videotapes ambered in the lab. The tapes lead to several components of a device, including a young Observer child, named Michael (Spencer List in Season 1 and Rowan Longworth in Season 5). Through Michael, they discover Donald is September, having been stripped of his Observer powers for helping the Fringe team, and that Michael is his genetic son, having been purposely grown as an anomaly in the far future. September explains the plan is to send Michael to the year 2167, where human genetic experiments to sacrifice emotion for intelligence would be started and leading to the creation of the Observers; by showing them Michael, who possesses both emotion and intelligence, the experiments would be stopped and the Observers never created. September is prepared to take Michael to the future as the plan is set in motion, but he is shot and killed at the last moment; Walter, already made aware that he will have to make a sacrifice, takes Michael through to the future to assure the plan's completion. As predicted, time is reset from that point.

Reader's Guide

Michael is defined by his role as the key to defeating the Observers. He is a young Observer child, the genetic son of September (Donald), who was purposely grown as an anomaly in the far future. Unlike other Observers, who are created through human genetic experiments that sacrifice emotion for intelligence, Michael possesses both emotion and intelligence. His primary purpose is to be sent to the year 2167, where human genetic experiments to sacrifice emotion for intelligence would be started, leading to the creation of the Observers. By showing them Michael, who possesses both emotion and intelligence, the experiments would be stopped and the Observers never created. The defining moment of his arc occurs when September is shot and killed at the last moment, and Walter, already made aware that he will have to make a sacrifice, takes Michael through to the future to assure the plan's completion. As predicted, time is reset from that point.

Did You Know?

• Michael is not the genetic son of Donald; Donald is September, not his alternate-universe counterpart.
• Michael was purposely grown as an anomaly in the far future, possessing both emotion and intelligence.
• The plan to defeat the Observers involved sending Michael to the year 2167 to present him as proof that emotion and intelligence can coexist, thereby changing the direction of Observer development.
• Michael was played by Rowan Longworth in Season 5; the young Observer boy played by Spencer List in Season 1 is a different character.
• Walter Bishop ultimately took Michael through to the future after September was shot and killed by Windmark.